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The Divine Right of Kings	By : vinsmouse Category: G through L > Hardy Boys Series Views: 5917 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own the Hardy Boys, not making any money, just cheap thrills.

Chapter List
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Chapter 2

The doorbell sounded. Alex turned to Laura. “Are you expecting somebody?”

She shook her head.

Alex released the ropes holding her to the chair. “Watch them,” he ordered his partner as he led Laura from the room. “Don't try anything stupid,” he warned.

Laura nodded to show she had understood. Rubbing her arm, she moved to the door, and pulled it open. She was surprised to see Phil Cohen, a friend of the boys, standing on the porch. “Oh Phil, I forgot you were coming to collect for the paper today. I'm sorry but I don't have any cash, will a check be okay?” Phil, bless him, quickly caught on to the fact that something was wrong.

“Yes ma'am, a check will be fine.”

“Just a minute.” Shutting the door, she moved to her purse and took out her checkbook. Doing her best to ignore the man standing next to the door, watching her, she hastily wrote on the check.

Alex shook his head in bemusement. Apparently this woman thought he was stupid. As she returned with the check, he jerked it from her hand. “What's this?” he asked, his voice low and dangerous as he read the note she had written. “Two men in house with guns, call police,” he read aloud. “Open the door and tell him to come inside...now,” he snapped when she hesitated.

With shaking hands, Laura opened the door. “Could you come inside for a minute Phil?”

“Actually I don't really have time. I've got...”

“Make time,” Alex interrupted, stepping into view and pointing the gun at Phil.

Phil swallowed hard. “Yes sir,” he managed as he stepped inside.

Alex grinned. “I like you Phil, you know how to show respect. Go on into the kitchen,” he told them, motioning with his gun.

“I'm sorry Phil,” Laura apologized. She felt awful for dragging Phil into this. Worse was knowing what her actions would mean for her youngest son. She should have just told him that the boys weren't home and let him leave. How could she not try though? These men might well kill them all before they left, after all they could identify them. Knowing of this possibility Laura didn’t see how she could have ignored any opportunity for help or escape that appeared.

“It's alright Mrs. Hardy. I would have done the same thing,” Phil quietly absolved her of blame.

“Who the hell is he?” Red demanded as the three of them entered the kitchen.

“Well he isn't the paper boy,” Alex replied. “Have a seat Phil,” he ordered. “Tie them up and make some sandwiches or something, Joe and I need to have a talk.” As he spoke he cut Joe's ankles loose and pulled him to his feet.

“No! Please don't hurt him,” Laura cried out.

Alex ignored her, leading a confused Joe from the kitchen and into the living room. Pushing him onto the couch, he sat beside him. “Tell me Joey, do you think your mother is a good mother?”

“She's the best sir,” Joe replied with conviction.

“Is she?”

“Yes sir,” was the confident reply.

“A good mother would protect her children, wouldn’t she Joey?”

Joe nodded.

“Then why did your good mother, the best mother you tell me, why did she disobey my orders?” Alex demanded.

“Sir?”

“Who is Phil?”

Joe was having a hard time following the man's train of thought. “He's a friend of ours, more Frank's than mine sir.”

“I guessed it was something like that,” Alex mumbled. “Your mother tried to pass him off as the paper boy and said she needed to write him a check. This check,” he added, holding the offending paper in front of the boy.

Joe swallowed hard. Now he understood why he'd been asked those questions. He flinched as Blue eyes softly stroked his hair.

“I don't want to hurt you Joey, I really don't.”

“Then don't sir.” In his young mind the solution was simple.

Alex smiled sadly. “You know I can't do that Joey. I told your mother and brother what would happen if they tried anything. I'm just sorry that your mother doesn't care enough about you...”

“She does care, she does,” Joe cried out, quickly coming to his mother’s defense. The slap didn't surprise him, but he wouldn't apologize for what he'd said.

“Respect Joey, respect.” Alex sighed, “She certainly has a strange way of showing it.”

"Wouldn't you try to get help sir, if you were her?"

Alex smiled tightly. "Not if it meant someone I loved would be harmed." Of course since he didn't love anybody it wouldn't have been an issue for him. "I really do regret this idea," Alex admitted, his hand once more stroking the boy's hair. "To be honest with you Joey I never thought I'd need to punish you more than once. I fully expected your family to be slavishly obedient after they witnessed your first punishment." He was careful to allow real regret to be heard in his voice.

"Yes sir,” Joe uncertainly mumbled. He could hear the regret but he had no idea what he was supposed to say. Did the man expect him to absolve him of his guilt, to comfort him?

Alex turned towards the kitchen door, his eyes traveling from it to Joe and back again. "You know Joey I don't think I am going to punish you after all. No," he shook his head, "it really isn't fair. Your mother will just have to take the punishment she deserves for her disobedience."

"No," Joe cried out. "Please sir don't hurt her." A cold shiver traveled the length of his back at the thought of his mother suffering as he had. Ignoring him, the blue eyed man stood. Pushing himself forward, Joe landed painfully on his knees in front of him. "Please don't sir, please ppunish me instead," he softly stuttered.

Alex blinked. Pleas for mercy he had expected, threats too if he were honest, but this...the boy offering himself as a sacrifice was truly a surprise. "You really mean that don't you Joey?"

Joe could tell he had surprised the man, wisely he didn't mention it. "Yes sir."

"Alex."

"What? I don't understand sir."

Alex wasn't surprised he had confused the boy. "You can call me Alex when we're alone, but you still must call me sir in the presence of others. Understand?"

Joe nodded, though Alex's words confused him more than ever.

"I would like a verbal response Joey, nods are rude, don't you think?"

Joe nodded, "Um, I mean...yes Alex I guess so." He flinched as the man's hand came down upon his head, once more stroking through his hair. The action reminding him of when he was younger and his father would come into his room to say goodnight. Giving a mental shake, he reminded himself that this man was a criminal. It was because of Alex that Joe's back was covered in bloody welts, more to be added in a few minutes. He wasn't a kind man, nor did he care for Joe in the slightest.

"Are you sure you want the punishment Joey?" Alex asked, petting Joe's hair. "Even you, as much as you obviously love your mother, must admit she deserves to be punished."

"I don't want to see her hurt Alex...please," Joe begged, looking up at the man with tear filled eyes. A hand at his elbow pulled him to his feet, the other hand coming to rest on his chin, tilting his head back. Alex stared into his eyes, looking for what Joe didn't know. He could feel his face growing hot as those calm blue eyes stared into his and then to his surprise warm lips were brushing over his forehead.

"You're a good boy Joey, better than your mother deserves." Alex smiled grimly as he released the boy's chin. He could see the emotions and thoughts warring for dominance on Joe's face, confusion winning out in the end. "Alright," he sighed, "let's get this over with." Keeping a grip on Joe's elbow he propelled him into the kitchen, not stopping until the boy stood at the end of the table. Quickly untying his hands, he ignored the cries of Joe's family until the young blond was once more lying across the tabletop. "Did you explain things to Phil?" he coldly asked Laura.

"Frank explained it sir," Phil replied. He had been horrified when Frank had told him what had happened before his arrival. Mrs. Hardy had been too distraught to say anything, sobbing quietly beside them. He remembered reading about the Divine Right of Kings and the post of Whipping Boy that had resulted from it. He couldn't believe a common criminal would even know of it, never mind using it as a weapon against an innocent kid.

Alex studied the teen. He could practically feel the disapproval rolling off of him in waves. "Don't approve Phil?"

"No sir," Phil replied, carefully keeping his tone quiet and respectful.

Alex shrugged and without another word turned back to Joe. Drawing his arm back he let the already bloody belt come down on the boy's back. Again and again the belt fell, the air again filled with the sounds of the boy's sobs as his skin was once more ripped apart in punishment of his mother's sins.

Laura closed her eyes, wishing she could block out the sounds as well. Each sob cut through her. She wanted to protest but feared what it would mean for Joe if she did. God why didn’t I think of that sooner, she asked herself? If only she could turn back the clock. She should never have tried passing a message to Phil.

TBC....

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A/N: No the chapters aren't going to be filled with nothing but scenes of whipping Joe. In fact, I don't think I'm giving anything away when I say the next chapter won't contain any violence directed at Joe.
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The Divine Right of Kings